IllustrationTIMING BELT,DRIVE BELTS AND WATER PUMP REPLACED. YH
1996 Honda Accord
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Honda Accord do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 356.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Accord years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 85 of 472 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
52 crash reports3 fire reports21 injury reports
What owners actually said
472 reportsDUE TO THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE PASSENGER'S CHIN , KILLING THE NERVES IN THE MOUTH OF THE PASSENGER. DEALER COULD DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING DUE TO THE ENGINE OVERHEATING. MECHANIC SAID IT HAD NO OIL . DEALER HAD JUST CHANGED OIL. *AK
AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING ACCIDENT AND THE SRS LIGHT STAYED ON. YH
TAIL LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT DUE TO A FUSE WHICH KEPT BLOWING OUT. *AK
LOST ENGINE OIL. BLANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT. REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF SEAL, TIMING BELT AND BALANCE SHAFT BELT.
THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE CHATTERING WHEN EVER THE BRAKES WOULD BE APPLIED. BEEN TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED THE ROTORS HAD TO BE CUT DOWN & THEN TURNED. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. *AK
I HAVE HAD A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OF MY ACCORD EX COUPE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCURRED ON JULY 27, 1997 AT AN ODOMETER READING OF 21536. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED FOR NO COST. THE NEXT FAILURE OCURRED ON OCTOBER 20, 1998 WHEN THE ODOMETER READING WAS 43050. THIS WAS ALSO FIXED WITHOUT CHA…
Read full complaint
I HAVE HAD A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OF MY ACCORD EX COUPE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCURRED ON JULY 27, 1997 AT AN ODOMETER READING OF 21536. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED FOR NO COST. THE NEXT FAILURE OCURRED ON OCTOBER 20, 1998 WHEN THE ODOMETER READING WAS 43050. THIS WAS ALSO FIXED WITHOUT CHARGE UNDER A GOODWILL WARRANTY. THE LAST FAILURE OCURRED ON 9/28/99 WHEN THE ODOMETER READ APPROXIMATELY 61442. THE DEALER (WOODLAND HILLS HONDA) INDICATED THE CAR WAS WELL PAST WARRANTY AND THEY WOULD DO A ONE TIME ONLY WARRANTY REPAIR FOR 50% OF THE REPAIR COST. I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY THE BALANCE OF $182.09. I TOLD THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM AND THOUGHT HONDA SHOULD COVER THE ENTIRE REPAIR. I WAS TOLD THE DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER DENIED THE REQUEST. DO I HAVE RECOURSE? PLEASE ADVISE AT THE INDICATED TELEPHONE.
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION IN SRS. THIS WOULD POSSIBLY LEAVE A PASSENGER IN VEHICLE WITHOUT AIRBAG PROTECTION IN CASE OF A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED AIRBAG SYSTEM. *AK
BALANCE SHAFT SEAL POPPED OUT OF ENGINE AND OIL SOAKED ENTIRE ENGINE INCLD. TIMING BELT,AUX.BELT,SPARK PLUG RINGS. INFORMED BY BOTH HONDA DEALEARSHIP AND AN INDEPENDANT SHOP THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. HONDA REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH PAYMENT. TOOK CAR TO AN INDEPENDANT A
Official recalls
198V231000 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood
Sep 22, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SEDAN, COUPE AND WAGON PASSENGER VEHICLES EXCEPT THE DX MODEL AND MODELS WITH V6 ENGINES. THE FACTORY INSTALLED AIR CONDITIONER WIRE HARNESS WAS IMPROPERLY ROUTED ALLOWING SOME WIRES TO RUB AGAINST EACH OTHER, EVENTUALLY CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SHORT CIRCUIT CANPOSSIBLY CAUSE THE UNDERHOOD WIREING TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE, CAUSING A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN ALSO RESULT IN A BLOWN FUSE OR DEAD BATTERY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR PROPER ROUTING OF THESE WIRES. ANY HARNESS IMPROPERLY ROUTED WILL BE INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE AND THE ROUTING WILL BE CORRECTED. IF ANY INSULATION IS WORN THROUGH AND THE COPPER WIRES ARE EXPOSED, THE HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED. DEALERS WILL ALSO INSTALL PLASTIC TUBING TO PROTECT THE HARNESS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.